According to a Riot Games developer recently, a block list may be on VALORANT's horizon. However, implementing the feature is not as simple as it seems.
Earlier this week, VALORANT producer Sara Dadafshar said in a post on Reddit that a "safe version" of the blocklist could be implemented into the game in the future. Gamers have long demanded ways to play in a safer and less toxic environment.
According to Dadafshar, the block list is “not completely off the table.” However, there is one factor to consider when considering implementation.
Toxicity is often a source of frustration in the gaming community. The possibility to chat with your teammates and opponents comes with a high chance of attacking homophobic, sexist and racist language. In VALORANT, as in other FPS games, voice chat provides better communication with your teammates, but can worsen many of the toxicity issues already present in the game.
The block feature has already been implemented in another Riot game, League of Legends. League players who block someone will automatically mute the blocked summoner's messages if they are together in the same game.
Riot is also disabling the "/all chat" feature in League to test the impact of this feature on the game and its community.
Developers will evaluate the impact of the absence of the /all chat through “surveys and direct feedback” from the community, along with report rates.
As the block list idea may be discussed further in the future, players can expect some updates on the matter directly from the VALORANT team.